The Effect of Full Time Employment of Undergraduates on their Academic Performance

Abstract

Full time employment of a full time undergraduate is predicted to be the most challenging phenomenon in next two decades in higher education. Even though this context in higher education has been researched and reported in the extant literature, conclusions derived are vague across various higher education disciplines. Thus, in Sri Lankan university culture not adopted and accepted those various higher education disciplines yet. So, this study attempts to touch and investigate this in Sri Lankan context. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of full time employment of a full time undergraduate on academic performance in public universities. To analyze these two hypotheses were formulated using deductive approach. The methodology adapted for this involves, reviewing existing literature related to the research theme and primary data. Primary data have been collected through selfdeveloped questionnaire. The study was conducted by using a convenience sampling technique. Type of investigation was correlation and it was cross-sectional on time horizon. The unit of analysis was individual level. Undergraduates who are employing in full time while reading degree in public universities were taken as respondents in this study. Data were collected from 50 respondents who are reading degree in public universities. In order to test the hypothesis that was concerned with the relationship between full time employment of a full time undergraduate and academic performance the Pearson Correlation technique was applied. It is found that there is no significant impact of employment of an undergraduate on academic performance. Further, study hours do not moderate the above mentioned relationship significantly. Hence, it is recommended to modify the curricular, time table and their curriculum teaching procedures, assessments, exams to release undergraduates to get the experience of employment accordingly.